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WNBA hopes Brittney Griner, new logo are slam dunks

Change is coming to the WNBA. That message is being emphatically emphasized in the upcoming season with a new logo featuring a player rising to the rim for a dunk. Fittingly this summer, the 12-team league

That message is being emphatically emphasized in the upcoming season with a new logo featuring a player rising to the rim for a dunk.

Fittingly this summer, the 12-team league welcomes a rim-rising star who's already generated an unmatched buzz before stepping out on the court for an official game.

The WNBA tips off its 17th season Friday, but the spotlight won't fully brighten until Monday when Brittney Griner plays her first game in a league she's projected to bring to life behind her never-before-seen athleticism on the court and her effervescent personality off the court. She recently became the first openly-gay athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Nike.

"This is the most anticipated season other than when the league started," ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck said. "I think Brittney is the first true post player who can play around the rim. I'm interested in seeing Brittney Griner vs. Candace Parker."

The 2012 WNBA basketball season featured zero dunks. Griner should beat that number. In her senior season at Baylor, Griner threw down 11 ferocious dunks that included one-handed and off-a-drop-step jams. She finished with 18 in her NCAA career.

"Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I'm going to throw it down," said Griner, who has been taking on the rookie learning curve head on, trying to master pick-and-rolls and craft a Kareem Abdul Jabbar-esque skyhook.

"Defense will be the number one thing I rely on," added Griner, who set an NCAA record for blocked shots.

"She's going to have an impact," Lynx forward Maya Moore said. "There's no one really like her so she's going to create a unique challenge for teams defensively and offensively."

The Indiana Fever may be the defending WNBA champions and the 2011 champion Minnesota Lynx may feature four All-Stars, but Griner's arrival makes the Phoenix Mercury favorites to win this year's championship.

Griner, the top pick in April's WNBA draft, joins a Diana Taurasi-led Mercury team that fits her up-tempo style. The Mercury open their season against the Chicago Sky at 5 p.m. Monday on ESPN2. Griner will get a chance to clash against the No. 2 pick, Elena Delle Donne, a versatile star from Delaware who has taken the backseat to Griner, along with fellow top rookie, Tulsa Shock's Skylar Diggins.

"I'm thrilled that's our first game," Delle Donne said.

While opposing coaches are quick to acknowledge Griner's impact and talent, not all coaches on the Griner-taking-over-the-league bandwagon.

"As far as changing the game, how the game is played, I don't see that," New York Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer said. "No one player can completely change the league. ... Guards dictate it. Even Wilt (Chamberlain) only won one championship."

Of course, there are story lines that have been overshadowed by Griner — namely a makeshift coaching carousal. Laimbeer, who coached the Detroit Shock to a championship, is one of several veteran coaches taking over a new program this season. Mike Thibault, who previously coached the Connecticut Sun, is now with the Washington Mystics. And Anne Donovan, now with the Connecticut Sun, previously coached the Liberty and Seattle Storm.